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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27546385">That's What Matters</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/eternalmyriadofstars/pseuds/eternalmyriadofstars'>eternalmyriadofstars</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Undertale (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Underfell (Undertale), Hospitals, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, M/M, kustard - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 17:34:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,552</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27546385</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/eternalmyriadofstars/pseuds/eternalmyriadofstars</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After an accident at the lab ends up with Sans in the hospital, he is visited by his bonefriend Red. But something is off with Red, and it’s leaving Sans feeling off-kilter.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sans/Sans (Undertale)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>72</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>That's What Matters</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>A short little Kustard one shot I started on a whim a few months back, and recently managed to finish.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was the machine, they told him. It had exploded, blasting him backwards and causing him to hit his head on the wall, cracking his skull.</p>
<p>He was damn lucky, they said. He had nearly died. Only the lack of any intent and the presence of one of his lab assistants, well-versed in healing magic, had saved his life. The monster’s quick reaction had even saved him from any scarring. His skull would heal perfectly fine.</p>
<p>Sans sighed from his position in the hospital bed. He didn’t feel very lucky, not right now. It wasn’t just his head; his whole <i>body</i> was one big ache. He was currently propped up against the pillows, attempting to ignore the feel of the scratchy sheets against his bones.</p>
<p>Not to mention he was bored out of his, heh, skull. He’d convinced Papyrus to go home nearly an hour ago; his poor brother had refused to leave his side from the moment he’d arrived at the hospital. Finally, after over fifteen minutes of Sans’s assurances that he’d be fine alone, Papyrus had left to get some food and sleep. He’d looked back at Sans the entire way out of the room.</p>
<p>But now that Papyrus was gone, Sans could feel his brother’s absence. He almost regretted that he’d convinced Papyrus to leave.</p>
<p>Almost.</p>
<p>The sound of the door creaking open had Sans biting down a groan of annoyance. If it was that nurse again…</p>
<p>“heh,” he muttered, closing his eyes. “back already? what’s wrong this time, do i seem too bonely?” He chuckled at his joke, pitiful as it was.</p>
<p>“more like a bonehead, if ya ask me.”</p>
<p>Sans snapped his eyes open. That wasn’t the nurse.</p>
<p>He glanced to his left to see Red slouched in the doorway, hands in the pockets of his coat. He grimaced a smile in Sans’s direction, but his eyes…</p>
<p>“heya sweetheart.”</p>
<p>His voice was rough and disinterested as always, but it sounded... off. Pair it with the unfamiliar look in his eyes and Sans wasn’t sure what to think. If he didn’t know any better, he’d say his bonefriend was scared.</p>
<p>But that couldn’t be right. Could it?</p>
<p>Sans quirked his smile a little higher and patted the space to his right. “hey babe, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.” Literally.</p>
<p>Red hesitated – for only a split second, but enough for Sans to notice – before sauntering over and plopping heavily into the chair at Sans’s side. “sorry i couldn’t come earlier. just got off work.”</p>
<p>Sans shrugged easily, then winced. Ow, okay, bad idea. Red frowned at the movement. “eh, it’s alright. i know how bosses are. got no chill, heh.” Or maybe that was just Grillby.</p>
<p>A beat, then a low chuckle from Red. Sans blinked. That normally would have gotten a reaction from him right away.</p>
<p>“are… you okay, red?” Sans asked hesitantly, well aware he was treading a thin line here. Insinuating Red was not okay was insinuating that he was showing weakness, and Sans knew exactly how his bonefriend reacted to <i>that</i>.</p>
<p>Sans tensed slightly, ready for Red to explode. He was pretty sure Red wouldn’t shank him while he was in the hospital.</p>
<p>Pretty sure.</p>
<p>But to his surprise, Red just stared at him like he’d grown a second head instead of put a dent in the first. “yer askin’ <i>me</i> that?” he asked incredulously. Sans shrugged.</p>
<p>“well yeah, you’re acting… weird.” Now <i>that</i> was the understatement of the century.</p>
<p>Red let out a chuckle, which soon transformed into a full-blown laugh. Okay, now Sans was really worried. Had this all been a mistake, and Red had actually been the one to hit his head?</p>
<p>Finally, Red’s hysterics died down. He let loose a few more chuckles as he wiped a stray tear from his eye socket. “heheheh, that was a good one.” His face turned serious, with such speed it gave Sans whiplash. “seriously, don’t joke like that again.” His voice carried a hint of a warning growl.</p>
<p>Okay, <i>there</i> was the Red he knew. Sans held up his hands in a placating gesture. He winced again at the movement.</p>
<p>Red scowled and leaned forward, grabbing onto Sans’s wrists and forcing them down to the bed. “don’t do that.” His grip was loose enough that Sans could break out of it if he wanted to, and that alone sent warning bells off in Sans’s head.</p>
<p>“okay, seriously, what’s with you?” Sans asked. “you’re acting really off tonight.”</p>
<p>Red growled, low and dangerous. “thought i told ya not to joke like that?”</p>
<p>“i’m not joking.”</p>
<p>Red glared, but his glare was off as well, almost as if he was looking at…</p>
<p>Sans flashed Red a crooked smirk. “if you were that desperate to check out my head, you could’ve just asked.”</p>
<p>Red considered him for a long moment, then leaned back and snorted. “nah, too cracked for my taste.” He had let go of Sans’s hands and crossed his own arms across his chest, as if he was hiding them from sight.</p>
<p>Sans’s smile dropped. So <i>that</i> was what this was all about.</p>
<p>“babe,” he began, taking care not to make his voice too gentle. “i’m fine.”</p>
<p>Red eyed him – or rather, the crack in his skull. “yeah, sure. look plenty fine to me. that crack just a new fashion statement or what?” His voice all but dripped sarcasm.</p>
<p>The corners of Sans’s mouth turned up again. “you know it, babe.”</p>
<p>The look Red shot him was so deadpan he could give Edge a run for his money. “sans,” he began slowly, like Sans was a particularly dull child. “ya have a giant <i>crack</i>. in yer <i>skull</i>.”</p>
<p>Sans had tensed up the second Red uttered his name. That never boded well. “babe…”</p>
<p>“ya could have <i>died</i>, sans!” Red snapped. Okay, there was the explosion Sans had been anticipating. “if that assistant hadn’t been there, ya would have…” He threw his arms up in the air. “fuck!”</p>
<p>Sans winced at the volume, half expecting one of the nurses to burst in and kick Red out. “red,” he muttered, then winced again. He didn’t mean for his voice to come out so come out so quietly; didn’t want Red to think he was <i>scared</i> of him, Stars no. But there must have been something in his tone because Red stopped cursing and looked at him, eye sockets wide.</p>
<p>“shit, sorry sweetheart,” he said, bringing up a hand to touch Sans’s cheek.</p>
<p>Sans smiled at the soft gesture. “it’s okay. just don’t want you to get banned from another building. that restaurant was bad enough.”</p>
<p>Red took his hand off Sans’s face and sat back, recrossing his arms with a huff. “that weren’t my fault,” he said immediately.</p>
<p>“red, you threatened to punch one of the waiters. <i>twice</i>.”</p>
<p>“that’s cause he was eyein’ ya,” Red muttered darkly, but a tell-tale red was beginning to appear on his cheeks.</p>
<p>Sans’s smile widened into a grin. “and you’re a possessive ass.”</p>
<p>Red shook his head but chuckled. “that i am, sweetheart. that i am.”</p>
<p>Taking a chance, Sans reached for Red’s left hand. Before he could raise his arm more than a few inches off the bed, however, Red had grasped it tightly.</p>
<p>They sat there in silence for a few minutes, simply enjoying each other’s presence. Sans hummed in contentment. He had really missed Red. He’d been working late hours at the lab, trying to get this experiment finished up.</p>
<p>And then he’d gone and nearly gotten himself killed.</p>
<p>Red must have noticed Sans’s change in mood because he leaned forward again. “sweetheart, ya alright? does it hurt? should i call a nurse?”</p>
<p>Sans smiled up at his bonefriend. “nah, just thinkin’.”</p>
<p>“‘bout?”</p>
<p>“about how worried you must be if you’re actually showing it,” Sans admitted, smile drooping. Red tensed but didn’t snap at him this time.</p>
<p>“sweetheart,” he began, then sighed. His thumb brushed over Sans’s hand lightly and he gazed down at it.</p>
<p>“i just,” he began, then stopped. He squeezed Sans’s hand lightly. “i don’t like knowin’ how easily ya could’ve died.”</p>
<p>“babe,” Sans said. “red.” Red looked up at the use of his name. “i’m fine. the assistant was there, he saved me.” He quirked a smile. “you can’t get rid of me that easily.”</p>
<p>The teasing comment didn’t work. Red just swallowed, then leaned forward.</p>
<p>“uh, red?”</p>
<p>“shut up,” Red muttered. He leaned over Sans, bracketing him in, as if he was trying to protect him from the world. Maybe he was. His left hand still gripped tightly onto Sans’s own, while his right cupped his cheek as if Sans was the most precious treasure.</p>
<p>“<i>sweetheart</i>,” he whispered, voice rough, and leaned forward to press his forehead to Sans’s.</p>
<p>Sans closed his eyes and pressed into the touch. He’d been cool about it so far, but the panic had been on the edge of his mind ever since coming to the hospital. It was beginning to bubble to the surface now.</p>
<p>He could have died, so easily, and then he’d never see Papyrus or Red or even Edge again.</p>
<p>“i’m sorry,” he whispered. “red, i-”</p>
<p>“shh,” Red said. His breath was a whisper across Sans’s cheek. “you’re alive, and that’s what matters.”</p>
<p>“yeah.” The panic subsided, ever so slightly. “that’s what matters.”</p>
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